Leed Certified Heritage Buildings

The past is really almost as much a work of the imagination as the future… Jessamyn West.

Respect the past and endure the that’s the mantra.We are what we are because of our past decisions but the present too holds the key to future. Why talk about the time trick you may ask? Well, because sometimes it is necessary. For instance LEED.

LEED as a concept been there for over two decades starting from From 1994 to 2016. But several buildings that are now getting certified by LEED are as old as history. They were omnipresent to be specific. Examples are plenty starting from Empire State Building to Fay House of Harvard University. Therefore, the historical reference.

Lets us look into few exemplary buildings that are an emblem of perfect green buildings that met the perfect criteria of sustainability and energy efficiency. All they needed was a bit of polishing and modulation.

1821: Jeffersonian Pavilion, Charlottesville, VA

This iconic buildings renovation was completed in the year 2011. It is used for the institutional purpose and is presently used by The Dean of Nursing School. It has been architected by Thomas Jefferson and is located University of Virginia’s iconic lawn.

1842: U.S. Treasury Building, Washington, DC

The U.S. Treasury Building dates back to the 19th century. It has undergone modulation and is now a LEED-certified building. Its newly added features, use of natural day lighting; sustainable cleaning and landscape maintenance programs; advanced controls and management of its heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

1856: New York State Executive Mansion, Albany, NY

This famous building has been used as a private home by 31 New York governors. In April 2009 Michelle Paige Paterson, wife of Governor Paterson, notified that as a result of constant efforts to “green” the operations and maintenance of the building and grounds, the mansion had secured LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council. This green effort was started by former First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer in 2007.

1894: Colorado State Capitol, Denver, CO

A major safety upgrade project, funded by the Colorado State Historical Fund, was started in 2001 and completed in 2009. The design by Fentress Architects added modern safety features, like enclosed stair towers, that blend in with the original architecture. The roof now features a 10kW photovoltaic array in addition to its gold-plated dome.

This building has been designed and conceptualised by famous architect Louis Sullivan. It is completely renovated now after having suffered great disrepair in the mid-20th century and has been LEED certified. The structural beauty of the buildings offers an individualistic assortment of modern architecture and unique floor plates. The building has an innovative use of steel frame structure, allowing much larger windows than the typical building of the time.

1932: Linde + Robinson Laboratory, Caltech, Pasadena, CA

Traditionally this building was used an astrophysical laboratory alongside a solar observatory. Presently it used as Caltech’s environmental science center. The iconic telescope dome is a minuscule version of the Palomar Observatory. During the renovation the telescopes’s mirrors were reprised a voluminous daylighting system. It has been certified LEED platinum.

1940: William Kenzo Nakamura U.S. Courthouse, Seattle, WA

The William Kenzo Nakamura U.S. Courthouse was the first single-purpose federal courthouse in the western United States. The building represents the sign of the commitment to democratic ideals. From the year 2006 to 2009, the building withstood an extensive renovation project. A new facilitated underground facility was added and the building was upgraded to meet tremulous standards.The renovation received LEED certification for layout design, energy efficiency and for the use of recycled materials.

1982: The Portland Building, Portland, OR

This building, by architect and product designer Michael Graves, is considered the first major work of Postmodernist architecture. The building is a symmetrical block with four off-white, stucco-covered rectangular facadesfeaturing reinterpreted elements such as pilasters and belvederes. Recently an experimental green roof has been installed in the building.

1933: CESC house, Kolkata

CESC House used to consume electricity at a rate of 2% p.a. from 29 lacs kwh in 2006 to 33 lacs kwh in 2012. Hence, the task to convert CESC House into a green building was initiated. Johnson Control in 2011 and later, Godrej & Boyce was roped in as the green consultant for the project. Several measures were taken towards the world class green practices. This initiative was finally recognized nationally in June 2014 and it got its LEED certification.

1923: Tata Headquarters Mumbai

Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata group in Mumbai, India became India’s first heritage building to get the prestigious green existing building gold rating awarded by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), under their IGBC Green Existing Buildings (Operations & Maintenance) rating system.The building has been given this rating for implementing measurable strategies and solutions on categories such as sit, water efficiency, energy efficiency, health and innovation.

These significant buildings are enough to proof that green building innovation can be done to any building through strict maintenance and discipline. According to wikipedia, LEED standards have been applied to approximately 83,452 registered and certified LEED projects worldwide, covering around 13.8 billion square feet (1.28 billion square meters). Green Building is the need of the hour!